Beverage dispenser with central charging gas connector and laterally spaced liquid filling opening



J. B WILSON 3,322,304 1TH CENTRAL CHARGING GAS CONNECTOR LY SPACED LIQUID FILLING OPENING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 30, 1967 BEVERAGE DISPENSER W AND LATERAL Filed Aug. 11, 1965 INVENTOR. JOH N 8.

WILSON HIS ATTORNEYS May 30, 1967 Filed Aug. ll, 1965 J. B. M ON 3,322,304 GE DISPENSER WITH CENT CHARGING GAS CONNECTOR AND LATERALLY SPACED LIQUID FILLING OPENING 2 Sheets-Sheet EVERA PEG-3 FIG-4 wall-QM.

INVENTOR. JOHN B. WILSON HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofitice 3,322,304 Patented May 30, 1967 3,322,304 BEVERAGE DISPENSER WITH CENTRAL CHARGING GAS CONNECTOR AND LATERALLY SPACED LIQUID FILLING OPENING John B. Wilson, Richmond, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 478,833 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-52) This invention relates to a beverage dispenser having a central charging gas connector and laterally displaced liquid filling opening.

In modern large quantity beer and beverage dispenser practice, the CO receptacles are removed from the dispensers, and then both the CO receptacles and the beer dispensers are individually washed, sterilized, and refilled. This requires removal of the CO receptacles from the dispensers and parallel washing and sterilizing of the dispensers and CO containers, followed by reassembly of the CO containers in the receptacles every time the dispensers are refilled.

One of the features of this invention is that the CO containers are not removed from the dispensers, and the interiors of the dispensers are maintained in a relatively sanitary condition by tightly secured plugs. The dispensers can therefore be readily cleaned while the CO containers remain in them. The dispensers can then be refilled with beer or beverage and the CO receptacles can be recharged without the necessity of removing and reassembling the CO containers each time the dispensers are refilled with beer.

The dispensers and containers are so shaped that this can be accomplished at great savings in refill cost and with the use of automatic filling and recharging machinery.

Another feature of this invention includes a construction in which the cylindraceous container may be moved along an operating line of automatic filling and charging machinery, with the charging gas valve opening substantially aligned with such operating line and with the bevbeing substantially aligned plied to the charging gas valve opening and so that the liquid or beverage may be vertically downwardly introduced into the filling opening while the dispenser is in vertical position, so that the correct liquid level may be easily gauged during the filling operation.

Other features of this invention are apparent from this description, the appended claimed subject matter and/or from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross section of a charged liquid dispenser having a high pressure charging gas container with a central charging valve opening coaxial with the dispenser.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE the central charging valve opening, spaced liquid filling opening.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of a portion of the gas container.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section of the charging valve opening construction.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section along the line 5-5 of 1 showing and the laterally FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section showing another embodiment of the filling opening and the plug or cover construction.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of FIGURE 6. Certain words may be used in this specification, and the claimed subject matter, which indicate direction,

relative position, and the like. Such words are used for the sake of clearness and brevity. However, it is to be understood that these words are used only in connection with the drawings of this application and that in actual use the parts described by such words may have entirely different direction, relative position, and the like. Exam ples of such words are vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, etc.

A charged liquid cylindraceous dispenser 20 may be a keg-like container suitable for storage in a domestic refrigerator or the like and may have a capacity of about 500 cubic inches of beverage, such as beer. The beverage may be dispensed through a faucet 22, which has an operating handle 24 which may be located in a recessed faucet end or end wall 26. The end wall 26 may be concave and may have a rim 28. The rim 28 may extend longitudinally to a transverse plane beyond the faucet parts, so that the dispenser 20 may be placed in vertical position, while being supported on the rim 28, for liquid filling and gas charging operations elsewhere more fully being described. The faucet parts will not interfere with such vertical support of the dispenser.

The dispenser 20 may have a side wall 30, which may be generally cylindraceous in character, and which is adapted to be placed in a horizontal position during normal operation of the dispenser.

The dispenser 20 also may have a gas and liquid filling end or end wall 33.

The dispenser 20 and the cylindraceous wall 30 may have a normally horizontal longitudinal central axis 32. This axis 32 may pass through the central part of the faucet 22 and may extend past the wall 33. A charging gas container 34 may have a charging gas filler or needle receiving opening or connector 36 which may be substantially coaxial with the dispenser axis 32. The wall of the opening 36 may be threaded at 38 to receive a tire inflation type of check valve 40. The check valve may have a poppet 42 which is operated 'by the stem 44. The opening 36 may be provided with a resilient plug 46 which has a self-sealing slit 48, through which the CO charging needle or other gas filler 50 may be inserted. The upper end of the slit 48 may be provided with a cone shaped opening 49 to guide the charging needle 50 into the slit 48.

A protecting disc 52 may be placed on the shoulder 51 shown in the opening 36 in FIGURE 4 and may be held down by the cylindrical end wall of the plug 46. The disc 52 may have a pair of openings 54, which are out of the path of travel of the needle 50, so that the needle is arrested by the central part of the disc and is prevented from engaging the valve stem 44.

The valve 40 acts as a check valve, in that it permits the high pressure gas from the needle 50 to cause the poppet 42 to open, but prevents backward flow of CO out of the gas container 34 when the needle is withdrawn from the self sealing slot 48.

The valve 40 discharges into a passageway 56, which discharges into the container 34.

The container 34 is carried by a massive supporting head 58, which may be generally cylindraceous, and has a flange or container end 59 which is downwardly pressed by the spilt ring 60 against the O-ring 62. A plastic cover 64 may be held by the ring 60 to cover the various parts of the head 58.

The massive supporting head 58 carries a generally cylindraceous charging gas container bottle 65 which is threaded and sealed at 67 to the massive head 58.

The charging gas container 34 may be charged with liquid CO from the needle 50, until a sufiicient quantity has been placed therein, so that the normal highest CO liquid level may be at the line 66, when the dispenser 'in the charging gas container is held in horizontal position. A protecting tube 68 may be provided with a filtering slot 70, which is sufficiently small in cross section so that any liquid slugs that may pass therethrough are very small and are effectively arrested and/ or evaporated by the tube 68, before such slugs might hit the poppet 72 of the tire inflation type of valve 74. The valve 74 has a stem 76, which is actuated by the diaphragm 78 in response to the pressure of the gas in the expanded gas chamber 80. The diaphragm 78 is acted upon by the compression spring 82 in a well known manner that is not pertinent to this invention.

The expanded gas from the chamber 80 may be discharged through the passageway 84, the outer end of which has a flexible tube check valve 86, which permits the gas from the chamber 80 to flow into the liquid space of the dispenser 30. If any excessive pressure is developed 34, such pressure will be transmitted through the passageway 88 to the rupture disc 90, which will rupture and allow the gas to escape through the passageway 92. The high pressure gas at 91 will burst the plastic cover 64 and release the gas to the atmosphere.

The split ring 60 may expand into a slot in the circular flange or opening 61 which has been formed on the end wall 33.

A charged liquid or beverage filling and emptying opening 92, FIGURE 1, may be formed in the end wall 33. This opening 92 may be laterally spaced from the central gas charging opening 36.

During the filling and charging operations, the dispenser 20 may be placed in a vertical position, with its axis 32 in a vertical position, and with the container 20 resting on the rim 28.

The opening 92 may be provided with a sealing cover 94, which may be made of metal or plastic material if desired. Such cover has an upward flange 96 with a return bend having a threaded engagement at 98. A suitable seal 100 may be placed on the upper end edge of the opening 92. A fluid tight seal is provided When the cover 94 is turned by the wrench receiving head 102. This head 102 may be made of any desired shape and may be made so that it will not accept any ordinary wrench but must be actuated by a special wrench, which ordinarily is not available to the public. This will prevent tampering with the inside of the dispenser to produce unsanitary conditions.

In filling and charging the container 20, the beverage is poured vertically or introduced vertically by special tube construction through the opening 92, preferably in a quiescent manner. After the dispenser 20 has been filled to the proper level, while it is in vertical position, then the cover 94 is applied thereto and the opening 92 is sealed.

After the dispenser 20 has been filled with charged beverage, such as beer, and the opening 92 has been sealed, then the charged gas container 34 may be charged with liquid CO through the check valve 40, as previously described, with a suflicient quantity of liquid CO so that the maximum highest level of the liquid CO is at the level 66, just below the slit 70, so that slugs of liquid CO cannot enter the tube 68 in sufficient quantity to damage the poppet 72 and automatic check valve 74.

The container or dispenser 20 may be in vertical position when the charging operation takes place, and the charging needle 50 may be applied in a vertical downward direction through the central part of the wall 36, so that there is a positive charging operation which can be properly guided when automatic machinery is being used for this purpose. There is no tendency to tilt the dispenser sidewise during such charging operation.

Another embodiment of a cover and filling opening is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 wherein a plastic plug 104 is externally threaded and engages the opening 106 at the threaded portion shown. The plug 104 may have an outward flange 108. The flange 108 may engage the flexible Seal t P duce a hermetical seal at this point.

i The plug 104 may be provided with a wrench receiving opening 112 which may be of any shape that will accept only a special wrench and will not accept the usual wrenches available to the public. Merely by way of example, the opening 112 is shown as triangular, but this is only a diagrammatic showing of any opening that may require a special tool not usually available to the public.

In both of the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 6, the openings there shown are protected by surrounding groove 114.

With a dispenser of this invention, the dispenser 20 may be properly filled and charged by placing the dispenser 20 in vertical position in automatic machinery, so that the charging opening 36 travels with its center substantially in alignment with the operating line of the automatic machinery. At the proper time the charging needle 50 may be applied vertically downward at the center of the charging and filling end wall 33. No tilting or upsetting action is likely to occur. The filling opening 92, being on the same top wall with the opening 36, may be caused to travel along or adjacent to the operating line. The filling operation may be performed in a downward vertical manner, so that the proper amount of beverage may be introduced into the dispenser 20 and its proper level may be determined while the dispenser 20 is in vertical position. In this manner, the construction of this invention lends itself to filling and charging operations in automatic machinery which can be performed and guided vertically as has been described.

A cross section transverse to FIGURE 3 of this application is disclosed in applicants previous application, SN 344,151, filed Feb. 11, 1964, and now Patent No. 3,239,- 101 for Gas Charging Apparatus, etc., to which reference is hereby made for further details of the charging gas container 34, per se, if required.

A new, useful and unobvious vided, which lends itself to easy and filling and gas charging operations.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination:

liquid charged, approximately cylindrical dispenser (20) having a longitudinal central dispenser axis (32), a first dispenser end wall (26) and a second dispenser end wall (33);

a charging gas container (34) having a container end (59) located in a first dispenser opening (61) in said second dispenser end Wall (33), said gas container end (59) having a first gas container opening (36) for receiving a charging needle, said first gas container opening (36) being coaxial with said dispenser axis (32) and being substantially surrounded by said second dispensing end wall (33);

said second dispenser end wall (33) having a second dispenser opening (92) for filling said dispenser with liquid, said second dispenser opening (92) being laterally spaced from said first dispenser opening an inwardly directed charging needle receiving check valve construction in said first gas container opening (36), said check valve construction including a resilient plug (46) with a self sealing slit (48), a perforate needle arresting disc (52) inside said plug, and a tire inflation type of check valve (40) inside said disc;

a removable cover (94) for said second dispenser opening and a faucet (22) in said first dispenser end wall (26).

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said dispenser (20) has a normally horizontal longitudinal axis (32) with said faucet (22) having a tube connected to said faucet and having an intake end located near a nordispenser has been proeffective beverage mally low charged liquid position of said dispenser below said longitudinal axis (32).

3. A combination according to claim 2 in which said charging gas container (20) has substantially all of its main body portion normally located below said horizontal axis (32).

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which said container end (59) having a massive supporting head (58) secured to said first dispenser opening (61);

a charging gas container bottle 65) supported by said massive head (58);

an automatic diaphragm operated expansion valve (74) supported in said massive head and receiving pressure gas from said bottle and expanding said gas into an expanded gas chamber (80) in said massive head;

and an expanded gas passageway (84) and expanded gas check valve (86) connecting said expanded gas chamber (80) and the liquid space in said dispenser 20 5. In combination:

liquid charged, approximately cylindrical dispenser (20) having a longitudinal central dispenser axis (32), a first dispenser end wall (26) and a second dispenser end wall (33);

a faucet (32) in said first dispenser end wall (26) to dispense charged liquid from the interior to the exterior of said dispenser (20);

said second dispenser end wall (33) having a first dispenser opening (61) with said central dispenser axis (32) passing through said first dispenser opening said second dispenser end wall (33) having a second dispenser opening (92) for filling said dispenser with liquid to be charged and dispensed through said faucet (32), said second dispenser opening (92) being laterally spaced from said first dispenser opening (61);

a removable cover (94) for said second dispenser opening a charging gas container (34) having a gas container end (59) located in said first dispenser opening (61), said gas container end (59) having a first gas container opening (36) for receiving a charging needle (50), said first gas container opening (36) being coaxial with said dispenser axis (32) and being substantially surrounded by said second dispenser end wall (33);

a resilient plug (46) with a self sealing slit (48) in said first gas container opening (36), a perforate needle arresting disc (52) in said first gas container open ing (36) inside said plug (46), and a tire type infiation check valve (40) in said first gas container opening (36) inside said disc (52);

said dispenser being normally with its central axis (32) horizontal when dispensing charged liquid, and being with its central axis (32) vertical with said second dispenser end wall upward, and with said first and second dispenser openings (61 and 92) upward and with said first container opening (36) coaxial with said central axis (32) to prevent tilting of said dispenser (20) when charging said container with a charging needle (50), the construction being such that both said first and second dispenser openings (61 and 92) can travel along the operating line of automatic filling and charging machinery while said gas container (34) is being charged with gas and while said dispenser (20) is being filled with liquid.

6. A combination according to claim 5 in which said charging gas container (34) includes a massive supporting 0 head (58) attached to said second end wall (33), and a charging gas container bottle (65) secured and sealed to said massive head (58);

an automatic diaphragm operated expansion valve (74) supported in said massive head (58) and receiving pressure gas from said bottle (65) and expanding said gas into an expanded gas chamber in said massive head (58);

and an expanded gas passageway (84) and expanded gas check valve (86) connecting said expanded gas chamber (88) and a liquid space in said dispenser (20).

7. A combination according to claim 6 in which said head (58) and bottle (65) are generally approximately cylindrical.

8. A combination according to claim 6 in which said head (58) and bottle 65) are generally approximately cylindrical and have central axes (32), and with said bottle being entirely below said central axis (32).

coaxial axes which are below said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: LIQUID CHARGED, APPROXIMATELY CYLINDRICAL DISPENSER (20) HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL DISPENSER AXIS (32), A FIRST DISPENSER END WALL (26) AND A SECOND DISPENSER END WALL (33); A CHARGING GAS CONTAINER (34) HAVING A CONTAINER END (59) LOCATED IN A FIRST DISPENSER OPENING (61) IN SAID SECOND DISPENSER END WALL (33), SAID GAS CONTAINER END (59) HAVING A FIRST GAS CONTAINER OPENING (36) FOR RECEIVING A CHARGING NEEDLE, SAID FIRST GAS CONTAINER OPENING (36) BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID DISPENSER AXIS (32) AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SURROUNDED BY SAID SECOND DISPENSING END WALL (33); SAID SECOND DISPENSER END WALL (33) HAVING A SECOND DISPENSER OPENING (92) FOR FILLING SAID DISPENSER WITH LIQUID, SAID SECOND DISPENSER OPENING (92) BEING LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST DISPENSER OPENING (61); AN INWARDLY DIRECTED CHARGING NEEDLE RECEIVING CHECK VALVE CONSTRUCTION IN SAID FIRST GAS CONTAINER OPENING (36), SAID CHECK VALVE CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING A RESILIENT PLUG (46) WITH A SELF SEALING SLIT (48), A PERFORATE NEEDLE ARRESTING DISC (52) INSIDE SAID PLUG, AND A TIRE INFLATION TYPE OF CHECK VALVE (40) INSIDE SAID DISC; A REMOVABLE COVER (94) FOR SAID SECOND DISPENSER OPENING (92); AND A FAUCET (22) IN SAID FIRST DISPENSER END WALL (26). 